Blackthorne



Typed out by Gregory Bishop

SNS-6Z-USA

BLACKTHORNE

INSTRUCTION BOOKLET


Interplay(tm)

SUPER NINTENDO(R) ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

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WARNING: PLEASE READ THE ENCLOSED CONSUMER INFORMATION AND PRECAUTIONS
BOOKLET CAREFULLY BEFORE USING YOUR NINTENDO(R) HARDWARE SYSTEM OR GAME
PAK.

LICENSED BY Nintendo(R)
NINTENDO, SUPER NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND THE OFFICIAL SEALS
ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. (C)1991 NINTENDO
OF AMERICA INC.

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(1)

BLACKTHORNE

Instruction Manual

Interplay(tm)

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(2) Table of Contents__________________________

History of Tuul...............................3
Safety Precautions...........................22
Starting the Game............................23
Tutorial.....................................24
Game Controls................................26
Weapons and Items............................29
The Personalities of Tuul....................31
Helpful Hints................................34
Credits......................................35

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(3) History of Tuul

Tuul had been a peaceful world. That was centuries ago--a time when
only one race of people inhabited the planet. Their ruler was a great
priest/shaman who, as the legend goes, was blessed with all knowledge.
The position was passed on from father to eldest son through hundreds
of generations unbroken. But when twin boys were born to Thoros, the
ninety-ninth in the line of priests, the path of succession was
dubious. Exhaustive tests of intellect revealed that neither boy was
clearly superior to the other. One day, the two would-be-rulers and
their father ventured out into the desert--now known as the Sands of
Sorrow--to determine the next ruler of Tuul. The sons returned three
days later, bearing with them two large gems, one light, one dark.
Their father was dead, they announced. His body had transformed into
the two gems they now held. His wisdom and knowledge were contained in
those gems and each of the sons had chosen one for their own. The
repercussions of this event would forever be felt throughout Tuul.

From that day forward, Tuul would consist of two distinct
populations. Some chose to follow the son who held the Lightstone,
north of the desert where they established a kingdom that would become
known as Androth. Others followed the guardian of the Darkstone,
settling south of the desert in a region they called Ka'dra'suul.

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(4)

Androth flourished, the people kept the revered Lightstone in a
central courtyard surrounded by gardens of exotic flora that flourished
under the stone's vibrant energy. The Ka'dra'suul chose to bury their
stone deep in the catacombs beneath the central keep of the great
castle. Although the Ka'dra'suul grew in strength and numbers, they
suffered physical as well as psychological mutations. The Darkstone
had been neglected by its people and responded by molding the
Ka'dra'suul into a cruel race of beings. Fortunately, the two peoples,
separated by the great desert, had little contact with one another.
Eventually, the Ka'dra'suul's supply of Xandralite--the energy-
radiating soft metal used by both races for heat and light--was nearly
exhausted. The vampiric Darkstone was effectively draining them of
their life-giving fuel.

A young warrior then arose among the people. Sarlac was his name
and he preached against the Androthi to the north, claiming that they
enjoyed an unfair share of Tuul's blessed resources and that it was the
duty of the Ka'dra'suul to set right this wrong. Sarlac was soon swept
into power, ruling the land from a great central castle he called his
Shadow Keep. He led his people against the Androthi in the north.
Unprepared, the Androthi were quickly overrun by Sarlac's hordes and
enslaved. They were then forced to work their own Xandralite mines
under armed guards, the results of their labor was then shipped south
to Ka'dra'suul where it was used to feed the Darkstone.

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(5)

Kyle Blackthorne

Two MPs dressed in olive drab uniforms strode across the dusty
compound, an orderly in fatigues following behind them. They headed
for the isolated concrete and steel bunker on the other side of the
fenced-in camp where the prisoner was currently held. The largest of
the MP's--a sandy-haired, freckle-faced sergeant--offered some advice to
the newly-arrived MP corporal.

"The prisoner must be kept under restraint at all times," the
sergeant cautioned him. "Captain Blackthorne is an extremely dangerous
man, trained in all forms of armed and unarmed combat. Maximum caution
must be exercised at all times."

The warning really wasn't necessary. The corporal already knew
all about Blackthorne, despite the fact he'd been in the region only a
couple of days. Blackthorne was a well-known figure, a legend in
military circles. A former U.S. Marine officer, Captain Blackthorne
had turned mercenary early in his military career after a receiving a
medical discharge from the Corps. He had since fought in a dozen or
more different military actions all over the world. Cold, shrewd, and
calculating, Blackthorne was said to be absolutely merciless. He was
charged with war crimes and scheduled to stand court-martial tomorrow
morning.

"Some people say Captain Blackthorne is innocent," the corporal
told the sergeant as they

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(6)

marched along. "They say he's been sold out--that the charges are
false and all part of the peace agreement they're trying to hammer out
with Moswali."

The Warlord Moswali was the latest stumbling block in a peace
agreement that the U.N. hoped to negotiate in this small, war-torn
East African country. By most accounts a thief and a cutthroat,
Moswali had firm control of large territories and their populace.
Without Moswali's cooperation, establishing a peace treaty that would
finally bring stability to this ravaged country was nearly impossible.
Moswali has a personal grudge with Blackthorne dating back several
years and, along with other concessions, had demanded the captain's
court-martial.

"I'm afraid that's not true, corporal," the sergeant reprimanded
the corporal. "Blackthorne's guilty--no doubt about it. He's a
vicious savage. He should consider himself lucky we didn't turn him
over to Moswali like he demanded."

Moswali had first insisted that Blackthorne be handed over to him
for trial at the Warlord's hands: a demand that even the merciless U.N.
commanders could not see fit to honor. The deal struck was that
Blackthorne would stand court-martial at the hands of his own troops.
His eventual conviction and a long sentence were nearly guaranteed.

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(7)

The corporal said no more. In the mere two days he'd been
assigned to this post he'd already decided he didn't like this
sergeant. Blackthorne was known as a rebel--the kind of man this
sergeant would not tolerate.

Finally reaching the small, concrete bunker that served as the
prisoner's holding cell, the party halted. Without preamble, the
sergeant beat his hammy fist on the heavy door.

"Prisoner! To the door! Hands out!"

A narrow opening was cut in the door about waist-height, used to
pass food trays back and forth and kept sealed with a padlocked bar.
At a nod from the sergeant, the corporal unlocked the bar and stepped
back. A pair of hands emerged from the opening, fists clenched, wrists
held together. The hands were large, strong, lined with cords and
muscle.

"Put the handcuffs on him, corporal," ordered the sergeant.

Fumbling slightly with the unfamiliar restraints, the corporal
finally locked them around the extended wrists. Cuffs secured, the
sergeant ordered the prisoner to move back to the rear of the cell
while the door was unlocked and opened. Carefully, the corporal
stepped inside the bunker, baton at the ready.

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(8)

"Watch yourself," the sergeant warned him. "He's always
dangerous."

The cell was hot, stuffy, and dark--the only light a few rays of
sun streaming in through a pair of narrow, barred ventilation slits
near the ceiling. The prisoner was in position at the rear of the
cell. His face hidden by shadows, he stood stock-still, silent. The
corporal noted the prisoner's broad shoulders and powerful arms.

"Tomorrow's the big day, eh?" the sergeant chided Blackthorne,
walking up to the prisoner and standing before him. "You go up on
charges and when it's over they're gonna lock you up forever,
Blackthorne."

The sergeant grinned at the silent prisoner, slapping his baton in
his open hand. The prisoner said nothing, didn't move.

The orderly left the hut to dump the prisoner's toilet.
Distracted by his movements, the sergeant glanced over his shoulder--a
mistake he'd live to regret.

As soon as Blackthorne saw the sergeant's eyes leave him, he made
his move. With an elbow to the throat, he sent him crashing to the
floor, knocked unconscious by the single blow.

Blackthorne turned toward the corporal. "Give me the keys,"
Blackthorne said in a quiet yet menacing tone. The corporal was
petrified. He dropped his weapon, fumbled with the keys on his belt
and handed them to Blackthorne.

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(9)

Moving toward the doorway, Kyle crouched in the opening, peering
across the compound, the unfamiliar sunlight bright and painful to his
eyes. The area seemed clear; only a few men were around. On the far
side of the camp a helicopter prepared for take-off, the sound of its
turning rotors chop-chopping across the camp.

Without further hesitation, Blackthorne made his break. Out the
door, sprinting across the compound, he ignored the shouts behind him.
Reaching the helicopter, he took the ground crewman out with a fist to
the jaw that sent the man sprawling on the ground. A second crewman,
aboard the craft near the open side door tried to make a move but
Blackthorne already had his hands on him, dragging him out of the
chopper to throw him to the tarmac. Leaping aboard, Blackthorne
slammed and latched the door then scrambled forward to the cockpit.

The craft's pilot, taken by surprise, stared wide-eyed at the
intruder.

"Captain Blackthorne?" he said, not really believing what he saw.

"Out!" ordered Blackthorne.

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(10)

Without a seconds hesitation, the pilot unstrapped himself and
scrambled out the door. He had served with Blackthorne and entertained
no foolish ideas about trying to stop this man. He had barely made it
to the ground when the chopper lifted into the air, Blackthorne manning
the controls. Swinging the chopper around in a tight arc over the
camp, he straightened it out and began streaking west, toward the
distant hills.

Blackthorne had a chance. Forty miles west of here lay the
border. If he could get over the hills and out of the country he'd
have a chance. He had friends there, made a few years back when he
helped defend that country's border against incursions made by the
vicious Warlord Moswali. These old friends would help him out.

In exchange for the helicopter he now piloted--and its cargo--they
would be more than willing to provide him with a new passport and
eventual safe passage out of Africa. Blackthorne pressed the throttle
to max, gaining altitude as he raced the helicopter toward freedom.

The first surface-to-air missile fired from the U.N. compound
narrowly missed him, flashing by the cockpit on the left side.

"Damn!" Blackthorne swore to himself, simultaneously swinging the
craft into evasive action.

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(11)

The chopper was amazingly swift and maneuverable in the capable hands
of its Captain. Blackthorne looked back in the distance as his
enemies fired another rocket. It was a futile attempt and Blackthorne
knew it. He and his craft were already out of range.

Blackthorne landed the helicopter in an area obscured by brush,
safely on the other side of the border. He was amazed at how weak he'd
become. He checked himself for wounds but found none.

What was wrong? He thought to himself.

Slowly, he climbed out of the chopper. It took all his strength
just to open the door and step outside. Once outside, he immediately
fell to his knees.

All went black

Running, running, running. The dream was the same one Blackthorne had
experienced over and over since childhood. Kyle Blackthorne--a small
boy--running in terror as fast as he could, racing through dark halls
made of stone, vaulted ceilings rising high overhead, walls decorated
with hanging silks and tapestries. Light poured from countless
chandeliers, their hundreds of candles casting but a feeble, yellow
light--a light that seemed swallowed up by the great inky blackness
surrounding all. In this dream he heard a voice calling to him. It
was always the same voice--the familiar voice he knew he could trust.

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(12)

"This way, Kyle. Hurry! Follow me!"

The voice sounded nearby and distant at the same time. In the
dream he sought the source of the voice but he never saw the face.
Always, though, he chased after it, obeying its commands, knowing that
his life depended on following its instructions.

And again he found himself overlooking a large chamber where a
man--tall, gray-haired, dressed in a splendid robe--faced off against a
giant, shadowy form. As Kyle watched, the two spoke for a moment, then
the giant form stepped from out of the shadows--a huge man with
powerful arms and shoulders. Laughing evilly, the stranger drew forth
a great sword and, raising it over his head, struck the older man down.
Kyle, paralyzed by the scene unfolding before his eyes, stood
dumbstruck. But powerful hands took hold of his small shoulders and,
without warning, lifted him off his feet and hurled him through vast
reaches of darkness and cold, tears pouring down his face as he thought
of the man struck down in the chamber. He knew it was his father...

Blackthorne awoke to find himself laying face down in the sand.
His head throbbed and he was disoriented. Slowly coming to his senses,
he realized he'd had the dream again--one of the many odd dreams that
had haunted him all his life.

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(13)

He pulled himself to his feet and assessed his situation. It was
getting dark. How long had he been unconscious? How much ground had
the UN forces gained on him? He knew there was no chance that they
would abandon their search for him. He had to find his friends and
fast.

Scrambling up to a nearby ridge, he saw the highway below that his
allies had frequently used. Maybe they still did. He went back to the
helicopter to grab some gear along with a rifle he found under the
seat. He must get to safety, Blackthorne thought to himself as he
began the steep descent to the road below. The Androthi depended upon
him, he told himself. He must free his people from the cruel
Ka'dra'suul.

With a sudden shock he realized he was reliving another of the
mysterious dreams that plagued him, but now it was becoming more real,
more urgent than his current predicament. He picked up his pace and
tried to shake the strange thoughts that plagued him. No matter how
hard he tried, he could not.

He saw himself standing in some sort of cave or mine. Others were
around--men working by dim light, sweating and toiling, mining a
strange mineral from the walls of the cave. Others, those not actively
at work, were chained to the walls. To his horror Blackthorne saw that
some of the captives were no more than corpses and skeletons. Long ago
picked clean of their flesh, they were

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(14)

bound against the walls in upright positions. Kyle pitied these
people. Somehow he knew they were called the Androthi.

And again came that mysterious voice, ringing in his ears: "Kyle.
Come to me. Your people have fallen slaves to the Warlord Sarlac and
the evil power of the Darkstone. You must free them. You are their
only hope. You must seek me out so that I may teach you the secrets of
the Lightstone. My name is Galadril. You know me. Find me."

The Androthi prisoners welcomed him as a friend. Their language
was foreign yet familiar to his ears. They begged for help and he
promised it to them, not knowing exactly what that would mean. Then
they ran as though in terror. Something was coming. "Ka'dra'suul!"
they shouted as they fled. Something hulked into view. Blue-skinned,
with long, curving tusks, it had obviously once been a man but was now
something else. The thing grinned at Kyle and then cracked it's evil-
looking black whip.

Blackthorne was still remembering that evil face when the sound of
a rapidly-approaching helicopter reminded him of his present situation.
They'd caught up to him.

"You better get a hold of yourself, Blackthorne," he told himself,
ducking into a narrow crevice, trying to keep out of sight. His head
continued to ache but he knew if he didn't keep his mind on the
problems facing him he'd have worse to worry about.

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(15)

He crouched in the eroded gully and watched as the U.N. camp's
other chopper passed slowly overhead. If they spotted him and radioed
back his position, he would never escape.

Apparently failing to spot Blackthorne through the darkness, the
helicopter passed over him without slowing. He breathed a sigh of
relief.

"The Golatrix complex," he told himself. "I must reach it."
Again he was shocked to find his memories confused. He was living in a
dream--a dream from long ago. He tried to concentrate on what lay
before him but still the other thoughts kept intruding, insisting that
his precarious trek through the desert was dwarfed in significance by
the unusual thoughts that raced through his head.

He was crossing a vast desert is search of the Golatrix Complex.
Sweltering from the heat, he trudged on. He felt the presence of
someone or something but he saw nothing. Enemies lurked everywhere
beyond the sand dunes and wind-swept hills surrounding him.
Ka'dra'suul was their name. Once human, they were now twisted and
degenerate, their lives and souls warped by Sarlac. Enslavers of the
Androthi, Blackthorne hated them and they feared him.

The Golatrix Complex--his goal--was a far-flung military outpost
built long ago by the Androthi but now abandoned. He did not know why
he had to reach this place, only that he must desperately attain this
goal. Something he

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(16)

needed--something important to the task at hand--lay inside, and this
he must retrieve. Here, there was no voice to guide him. He was on
his own.

A shot rang out, a distant rifle firing from the other side of the
highway. The slug kicked up dirt in front of Blackthorne as it buried
itself in the ground near his feet.

A sniper!

Blackthorne threw himself to the ground, rolling and scrambling
until he got himself behind a low line of rocks just barely high
enough to afford him cover. Was this sniper a friendly force unable to
recognize him in the darkness? He quickly ruled out that possibility.
He was sure that the sniper was one of Moswali's men probably assigned
to specifically hunt down and capture Blackthorne, dead or alive.
Pinned flat to the ground, his slightest movement was answered by the
crack of the rifle and a slug ricocheting off rocks shielding him.
The only thing he knew for sure was that the sniper was holed up in a
narrow crevice on a mountain across the highway. Entrenched high above
him, the sniper could keep Blackthorne pinned down indefinitely.

He pulled out the rifle and attached the infrared scope. The
sniper's shots continued to ricochet dangerously close to his position.
The enemy appeared as a shadowy figure through the rifle's sight.
Blackthorne fired two quick shots.

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(17)

He continued to watch through the sight as the sniper stumbled and fell
forward on the mountain. He wasn't the first to fall victim to
Blackthorne's sharpshooting prowess and he wouldn't be the last.

Blackthorne hopped to his feet. There was little time left.
There was no way of knowing if the Warlord's sniper was in radio
contact with Moswali's camp but the gunfire and air traffic over the
hills would not go unnoticed. He was only a few hundred feet from the
highway now.

"I must find Onehand," Blackthorne told himself. "The Seer
dwelling deep within the Karnellian Swamps."

Blackthorne again found himself slipping into one of his eerie
visions...

He was plodding through a swamp filled with dark, evil-smelling
water, surrounded by strangely twisted trees. No birds sang but
skitterings and shufflings could be heard among the rushes and briars
on the banks. The degenerate Ka'dra'suul lurked here, in the great
Karnellian Swamp. Blackthorne was seeking the refuge of a woman known
only as the Seer Onehand. It was Onehand who kept the secret
Blackthorne needed to defeat the great evil that lay beyond the swamp.

Other things lurked here as well--things far worse than the
Ka'dra'suul. The great evil plaguing this world had also unleashed
creatures from the other worlds--other dimensions--to stalk this

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(18)

desolate land. These creatures were barely mortal and nearly
impervious to Blackthorne's weapons. He was wary of them--and of their
stealthy approach.

He never could recall if he'd ever found who he'd been searching
for. The name Onehand remained a haunting enigma.

He tried to shake the feelings off, telling himself again and
again that they were only the fragments of half-remembered dreams--but
inexplicably he knew there was more to it than that.

"Kyle!"

A voice spoke to him in his head--the voice familiar to him from
his dreams. He ignored it, running on. He finally reached the side of
the highway and could see what looked like a jeep heading toward him.
It was about a mile away.

"Kyle! It is time!" The voice came to him again.

The vehicle closed quickly.

"Prepare yourself, Kyle!" the voice commanded. "The time draws
near."

Blackthorne clutched at his head, trying to drive the voice out.
He sat by the roadway. Was he going mad? He had to block out the
voice.

The jeep thundered past him. Blackthorne held out his hand to
stop the vehicle but they didn't see him. Perhaps they couldn't see
him. He recognized

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(19)

the occupants of the jeep as faces of those he had fought alongside
only a short time ago.

"Now!" vibrated the voice inside his head.

Kyle Blackthorne suddenly found himself surrounded by cold and
darkness, hurtling through the vastness of space as stars whirled by
at dizzying speeds.

"Your time has arrived," came the voice again, this time nearer,
and more familiar. "You are of age and well trained. It is time to
fulfill your destiny."

"Galadril?" asked Blackthorne.

"It is I," answered the voice. "Your mentor and tutor from years
gone by."

"I remember," said Blackthorne. "You were the favorite of my
father, King Vlaros."

"And his advisor and sorcerer," added the voice. "Your memories
are returning, I see."

Blackthorne agreed. "I remember the murder of my father. I
dreamt of it many times. He was slain by a man who stepped from the
shadows," he said, turning suddenly grim.

"Yes, the evil lord Sarlac," said the voice that was Galadril.
"He still reigns, Kyle, and our world is the worse for it. If not
stopped soon he shall be the end of us all. The world of Tuul--your
world--needs you desperately. Too many years

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(20)

have the Androthi lived under the yoke of Sarlac and his people, the
twisted Ka'dra'suul. Sarlac possesses the Darkstone and if allowed to
continue his evil ways will eventually destroy our world and all that
is good in it. You must use the power of the Lightstone to bring an
end to his reign. To protect you, your father and I sent you to Earth.
After Sarlac discovered the Darkstone and began his rise to power, the
Seer Onehand predicted that Sarlac could not be stopped--that his
destiny could by changed, but only through the power of the Lightstone
wielded by the proper heir to the throne. Hence we sent you to Earth,
far from the treacherous eyes of Sarlac. To further safeguard you,
your memories were hidden from you. But it appears that some have
escaped over the years."

"The dreams..." said Kyle.

"Yes. The dreams were your old memories escaping their magical
bounds. But only some of them. Others were prophecies of things to
come--of your destiny.("

"What am I to do?"

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(21)

"Seek me out, young Kyle. You will soon return to that place from
which you were sent, the Xandralite mines of Androth, now a prison camp
run by evil Ka'dra'suul. I can not meet you there for reasons you will
soon learn. I wait beyond the mines. Seek me out..."

"How can Sarlac be stopped?" Blackthorne asked the voice.

"With the power of the Lightstone," answered Galadril. "You must
use it against Sarlac..."

The voice faded away.

The fate of Kyle Blackthorne now lies in your hands. Your mission
is to guide the resourceful warrior through the perilous regions of
Tuul and find Sarlac. Use Blackthorne's mercenary abilities, along
with the weapons and items you will acquire, to assist you in your
quest.

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(22) Safety Precautions

Use the following suggestions to keep your Super NES(R) Game Pak in the
best possible condition:

1. Keep the Game Pak away from heat, cold, water and direct sunlight.
The weather conditions of Tuul are bad enough without any outside
interference.

2. Keep it in its protective cover when it is not is use or you will
leave Blackthorne defenseless.

3. If your Game Pak gets dusty, use a clean, soft cloth to clean it.
Do not use any type of chemical to clean the Game Pak. Even at the
height of battle, Blackthorne takes a lot of pride in his appearance so
don't let him get dirty.

4. Do not take the Game Pak apart. There is nothing in it that can be
used for other purposes--besides, you don't really want to set Sarlac
free in your house do you?

5. Always make sure that the power is off before inserting or removing
the Game Pak from the Super NES(R). You might cause serious damage to
the structures and landscapes of Tuul which will only make
Blackthorne's task more difficult.

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(23) Starting the Game

After inserting the Blackthorne Super NES(R) game pak, several
introductory screens will appear. Press START until you reach the
title screen which will present you with several options - PRACTICE,
NEW GAME, OPTIONS and PASSWORD.

By selecting PRACTICE, you will be guided through a tutorial that
allows you to familiarize yourself with basic game controls, weapons
and items before you begin an actual game. The NEW GAME option will
immediately start a game from the beginning level. OPTIONS enables you
to turn music and sound on or off.

To bypass levels that you have already completed, select the PASSWORD
option. Use the control pad to enter the appropriate password and a
new game will begin at the designated level (be sure to write down the
passwords as you complete levels - you can use the password notebook in
this manual to keep track).

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(24) Tutorial/Walk-through

The purpose of this section is to guide you through the first few
minutes of game play and help you get used to some of the controls.

Press the Start button once at the NEW GAME option on the main menu and
again when the introductory screens appear to begin a game at the first
level. To get to the ladder, put the shotgun away (by pressing A) and
jump across (by pressing B) to the other ledge. Position yourself
underneath the ledge that the ladder sits on, push up on the control
pad and pull yourself up.

After climbing up the ladder, exit the current screen to the right.

Proceed to the ladder and climb up to the ledge where the prisoner is
shackled. Pick up both of the item bags by crouching (down on the
control pad)--these are hover bombs and they will remain in your
inventory until you use them. Next you will need to blow the door with
one of these bombs (press X).

After walking through the blown door, pull your shotgun immediately and
press up on the control pad to hide from the attack. Your enemy will
fire several shots in your direction--wait until he cocks his weapon
after firing, then shoot. Jump across to the other side, pick up the
item bag and climb up the ladder.

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(25)

Blow the next two doors with the hover bombs. On the second door, make
sure that your Androthi ally is not standing too close to the door when
you use the bomb. Once you free him, he will give you a health potion.
Go up the ladder and walk through the passageway (by pressing up on the
control pad).

You are now well on your way to completing the first level. As long as
you continue to collect items and gather as much information as you
can, you will be successful throughout the game.

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(26) Game Controls

START Starts and pauses the game. Also allows you to "Continue" or
"Give up" when these options appear during game play.

SELECT Brings down the item bar and cycles through your inventory.
This can be accessed at any time during the game.

L and R These buttons (located on the top of the controller) enable
you to cycle through your items without having to pull down
the item bar.

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(27)

THE CONTROL PAD

Left or Right moves Blackthorne in that direction.

Up

1. When standing in the clear, "hides" Blackthorne in the shadows.

2. Enables him to jump up onto the ledge and pull himself up (the gun
must be put away before doing this) - use this button for climbing
ladders as well.

3. Allows you to walk through the passage ways (gun must be put away to
do this).

4. Inserts a key in the appropriate lock, assuming you have one in your
inventory.

Down

1. Crouches. This is primarily used to pick up items.

2. Allows you to climb down a ladder or ledge.

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(28)

The action buttons (A, B, X and Y) have different functions depending
on whether or not Blackthorne holds his gun.

GUN NOT DRAWN

A Pulls the gun from its holster

B Jumps forward (Broad jump)

X Uses the selected item from your inventory (the current item appears
at the upper left of the screen)

Y Holding down a direction on the control pad and tapping this button
enables Blackthorne to run (jumping while on the run covers more
distance than a standing jump)

GUN DRAWN

A Puts the gun away

B Fires the gun

X Uses the selected item from inventory (the next available item
appears at the upper left of the screen)

Y Fires backward "without looking"

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(29) Weapons and Items

The shotgun is Blackthorne's primary weapon. Over the course of the
game, Androthi allies will help you to upgrade the weapon's
effectiveness.

In addition to the shotgun, the following weapons and items can be
acquired during your journey:

HOVER BOMBS

After this bomb is thrown, it "rolls" toward its target and detonates.

FIRE BOMBS

This bomb features a "somersault" explosion that can damage multiple
enemies at one time.

WASPS

When deployed, you can steer this bomb with the Control Pad and
detonate it by pressing X (ideal for destroying computer terminals).

HEALTH POTION

You will be able to improve your health by finding and drinking these
potions. Be sure to explore the levels thoroughly--some of the potions
are well hidden.

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(30)

LEVITATOR

This is used to reach elevated areas that Blackthorne can't get to with
an ordinary jump. To use the Levitator, press X to drop it, then press
up on the control pad to levitate it.

BRIDGE KEY

Insert this key in the lock by pressing up on the Control Pad to create
a bridge for Blackthorne to cross.

IRON KEY

This key is used to "unlock" the blue force fields that Blackthorne
encounters (press up on the Control Pad to insert the key).

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(31) The Personalities of Tuul

KING VLAROS

The old ruler of Tuul and Kyle's Father.

GALADRIL

Tuul's resident sorcerer and Vlaros' best friend.

THE SEER ONEHAND

A female forest druid who leads the Androthi in their struggle against
the Ka'Dra'Suul in the forests.

THOROS

The originator of the Stones of light and dark. His shrine lies in the
wastelands where it is foretold the stones came into being.

SARLAC

The ultimate bad guy--once a sorcerer like Galadril, the powers of the
Darkstone have turned him and his minions into gruesome monsters.
Sarlac wields the power of the Darkstone against the Androthi.

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(32)

ANDROTHI

These are the good guys who will often provide you with useful
information and items.

ANDROMEDOGS

Fearing that Sarlac would inevitably win, some of the the Androthi
joined up with Sarlac to avoid destruction. These outcast traitors are
hated by the Androthi.

GRAG'OHR ("GRAGGS")

Blackthorne's most common enemy (the goblin creatures), they appear
throughout the game with varying degrees of difficulty.

WHAR'ORK

These ominous looking blue creatures lurk in the depths of the
Xandralite mines, never hesitating to crack their whips at the enslaved
Androthi.

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(33)

ROCK BEASTS

The once tame desert dwellers are now bent by Sarlac's influence to
destroy the Androthi with their unique "rock and roll" attack.

EEKERS

Tentacle-like plants that devour unsuspecting victims--they emit a
shrill sound when in distress.

SPIDER MINES

These walking explosives are pesky creatures that test Blackthorne
throughout his journey--Fire Bombs are particularly useful against
them.

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(34) Strategy and Helpful Hints

Here are few tips that will aid you in your quest to destroy Sarlac:

o When your are not using an item or bomb, select a blank space on the
item bar and continue play. This way, no item or bomb icon will
appear at the upper left of the screen so you won't accidentally use
one.

o Don't get too close to the goblin creatures--they can cause damage by
pushing you down as well as shooting you. If they are on a ledge
above you, hang from that ledge and wait for them to walk away before
you climb up.

o Try to get behind the goblins when fighting them. It takes them some
time to realize where you've gone and you will be able to get a
couple shots in before they recover.

o When you are hiding with the gun drawn, you can press B to fire
without releasing the up direction on the control pad. This way you
will automatically hide after you fire the shotgun.

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(35) Credits

GAME DESIGN
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT

LEVEL DESIGN
RONALD MILLAR

PROGRAMMING
FRANK PEARCE
PATRICK WYATT

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
JAMES ANHALT

ARTWORK
ROMAN KENNEY
STU ROSE
JASON MAGNESS
RONALD MILLAR
SAMWISE DIDIER

ART TECHNICIAN
JOEYRAY HALL

SOUND AND MUSIC
GLENN STAFFORD

TEXT AND DIALOG
MICKY NEILSON
RONALD MILLAR
FRANK PEARCE

STORY BY
KEITH HERBER

MANUAL BY
SEAN CRAMER

MANUAL ILLUSTRATION
SCOTT BIESER

MANUAL LAYOUT
LARRY FUKUOKA
ULISES GERARDO

PRODUCER
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
RONALD MILLAR

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
ALLEN ADHAM

PRODUCER
INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS
MATTHEW FINDLEY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS
ALAN PAVLISH

SPECIAL THANKS TO
ELVIS, SASHA and NICK CRAMER

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(36) J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S EPIC SAGA CONTINUES...

J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS(R) Volume 1

Available Now!

NEED A HINT? LOOK FOR PRIMA PUBLISHERS' EXCLUSIVE HINTBOOK AT YOUR
LOCAL RETAILER NOW!

Put your strength, endurance and willpower to the test as you join the
Fellowship on its epic quest to destroy the One Ring that has the power
to destroy Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings(TM) is the ultimate fantasy adventure role-playing
game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System(R). There's nothing
like it on Middle-earth!

INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS
17922 FITCH AVE., IRVINE, CA 92714

LICENSED BY Nintendo(R)

(C)1994 INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS PROGRAM IS
PUBLISHED WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE TOLKIEN ESTATE AND THEIR
PUBLISHERS, HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS. THIS GAME IS BASED ON THE LORD
OF THE RINGS (C)1954, 1955, 1966 J.R.R. TOKIEN. THE LORD OF THE RINGS IS
A REGISTERED TRADEMARK, CHARACTERS AND NAMES ARE TRADEMARKS OF TOLKIEN
ENTERPRISES. THE LORD OF THE RINGS ANIMATIONS COPYRIGHT (C)SAUL ZAENTZ
COMPANY, 1978. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE ADVANCED REAL-TIME DYNAMIC
INTERPLAY SOUND SYSTEM IS A TRADEMARK OF INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

(37) Limited Warranty

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Interplay(TM)
17922 Fitch Avenue, Irvine, CA 92714

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